The NEW AMERICAN MANDOLIN ENSEMBLE

With suport from The Bristol Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble

“Contemporary classical music for plucked string instruments reflecting folk, jazz and world music influences”

In 2013 the American guitarist/mandolinist/conductor Mark Davis formed a ground-breaking group of professional musicians to perform original contemporary music for plucked strings. The New American Mandolin Ensemble is comprised of two mandolins, two classical guitars, a ‘liuto cantabile’ and string bass. While the NAME champions the best of international composers, the group has a special interest in promoting works from the USA, as well as works reflecting jazz, folk and world influences.

 “The New American Mandolin Ensemble shines a fresh light on the Mandolin Orchestra tradition…the group plays wonderful new music…will no doubt become a standard [for] the mandolin groups of tomorrow”.
- American mandolin superstar Mike Marshall

The importance of NAME’s work has been acknowledged by the US and international mandolin communities. NAME has not only performed throughout New England, but was featured at the 45th Festival Internacional de Plectro de La Rioja in Spain (summer 2016),  at the 2014 Annual Convention of the Classical Mandolin Society of America, and was chosen to perform at the opening ceremonies of the Eurofestival Zupfmusik in Bruchsal, Germany, during NAME's 2014 European tour.

“The music is played so fresh and I love the natural sense of groove that this group has.  Beautiful playing - very exciting!”
- Caterina Lichtenberg, Professor of Mandolin, Koln/Wuppertal, DE

The members of the New American Mandolin Ensemble are all involved professionally in some aspect of plucked strings - teaching, conducting, performing, arranging and composing.  Mr. Davis says about the group: “The members of NAME share a common passion for this new plucked string repertoire; our goal is to perform it with classical nuance coupled with the energy of a rock band!”

The repertoire of the New American Mandolin Ensemble consists of original works by the leading contemporary composers for plucked strings, many of which were written especially for the ensemble.  These composers include C. Acquavella, C. Assad,  J. Bartlema, Jim ten Bosk, R. Charlton, O. Hartford, V. Kioulaphides, A. Kruisbrink, Y. Kuwahara, E. Macadam-Somer, C. Mandonico, M.Nix, E. Stopler, and F. Wallace.  They also perform arrangements of diverse modern repertoire, including works by Gismonti, Jobim, Kaufman, and Piazzolla.

"The New American Mandolin Ensemble lives up to its NAME! The group's concert performance at the 2014 CMSA convention was one of the best I have ever heard. Brilliant and beautiful contemporary compositions performed by extraordinary musicians with finesse, power and heart. Don't miss a chance to hear this group in person! "
- John Goodin – composer, mandolinist, Luther College

“I'm immediately struck by how adventurous the repertoire is.  The ensemble playing is tight…sounds like a well-rehearsed group with communal control over dynamics.”
    Simon Mayor, English mandolinist

The Bristol Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble

The Bristol Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble has in recent years become a well established act on the Bristol music scene with performances including Bristol Folk House, St.George Brandon Hill ,Colston Hall Foyer, The Cube Cinema, All Saints and St.Stephens Church.
 
The ensemble plays a vary varied repertoire including 20th cent. composers such as Bela Bartok, Eric Satie and Gustav Holst along with both standard and not so standard (Jimi Hendrix, The Eurythmics, Middle Eastern Music) mandolin orchestra pieces as well as film music by Ennio Morricone and other composers.”
 
The ensemble has won the “FunTrophy” at the the last two BMG Federation competitions in Glasgow and Worthing with their renditions of “Purple Haze” and “I Am The Walrus.

https://knudstuwe.com/the-bristol-mandolin-and-guitar-ensemble